Walking trainer and coordinator



June 30, 1959 1 l.. HUTTON 2,892,455

l l WALKING TRAINER AND CORDINATORv Filed Sept. 27', 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q E BY ATTORNEYS June 30, 1959 L. L. HUT'roN 2,892,455

WALKING TRAINER AND COORDINATOR Filed Sept.. 27, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS June 30, 1959 WALKING TRAINER AND COORDINATOR Filed Sept. 2", 1957 L. L. H UTTO'N 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS United States Patent() WALKING TRAINER AND COORDINATOR Leach L. Hutton, Fort Worth, Tex.

Application September 27,` 1957, Serial No. 686,657

4 Claims. (Cl. 12S-25) The present invention relates to walking trainers and coordinators for teaching the art of walking to convalescing handicapped persons.

' The primary object of the invention is to provide a power driven device for simulating the leg and arm movements normally used in walking.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanismI of the class described above in which convalescing handicapped patients may be supported so that walking and coordinating muscles of the body may be retrained.

A further object of the invention is to provide a power driven walking coordinating and training device which is adjustable to accommodate for the height of the individual being trained. A still further objectof the invention is to provide a device of the class described above which is inexpensive to manufacture, simple to use, and which is completely effective in retrainingdisused` muscles.

Other objectsand advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in the light of the attached drawings, in which:

` 'Figure lis a top plan viewof the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the invention shown partly broken away and in section for convenience of illustration.

Figure 3 is a horizontal cross-section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, with parts broken away for convenience of illustration.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical crosssection taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical crosssection taken along the line 5 5 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical crosssection taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical crosssection taken along the line 7-7 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 8 is a detail cross-sectional view of the wrist ban-d.

Figure 9 is an enlarged `fragmentary horizontal crosssection taken along the line 9--9 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference numeral 10 indicates generally a walking trainer and coordinator constructed in accordance with the invention.

The walking trainer and coordinator 10 includes a base platform 11 supported on a plurality of longitudinally spaced transverse cross members 12. An electric motor 13 is provided with a base 14 securedl to the platform 11 at one end thereof. A bracket 15 is secured to the platform 11 and extends upwardly therefrom with a transverse shaft 16 journalled therein.

2,892,455 Patented June 30,

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The motor 13 has a shaft 17 carrying a drive pulley 18 thereon, and the shaft 16 has a drive disk 19 mounted thereon. A bracket 20 supports the outer end of the shaft 17 between the pulley 18 and the motor 13.

A pulley 21 of a size somewhat smaller than the disk 19 is mounted on the shaft 16 in parallel relation to the disk 19. The drive pulley 18 engages the face of the guide disk 19 so that rotation of the drive pulley 18 causes rotation of the drive disk 19. The shaft 17 is longitudinally adjustable by means (not shown) so that the drive pulley 18 moves across the face of the drive disk 19 to vary the speed of the drive disk 19 with respect -to the motor 13. i

A pair of brackets 22 and 23 are secured to thev platform 11 adjacent the bracket 15 -and have bearings 24 and 25, respectively, secured in axially aligned relation to their upper ends. A shaft 26 is journalled in the bearings 24, 25 and carries a pulley 27 thereon in alignment with the pulley 21 on the shaft 16.

A belt 28 is trained over the pulleys 24 and 30 so that the shaft 26 may be driven from the shaftv 17. The pulley 27 is somewhat larger than the pulley 21 with'theI effect that the speed of the pulley 27 `is substantially .less than the speed of the pulley 18 on the motor 13. The shaft 26 is provided with a pair of cranks 29,130 secured to the opposite ends thereof, for reasons to be assigned.

A plurality of uprights 31 are secured to the platform 11. A pair of vertically spaced parallel horizontal members 32 and 33 extend between the uprights 31 on each side of the device. A pair Aof yokes 34 are mounted in spaced parallel relation on the members 32, 33 centrally thereof.

A body harness 35 is suspended from a plurality of flexible supports 36 from the yokes 34 to support a patient 37 in spaced relation above the platform 11.

A pair of longitudinally extending tubular guides 38 are arranged in laterally spaced parallel relation on a pair of supports 39 carried on uprights 40 extending upwardly :from the platform 11. A slide bar 41 is telescoped in each of the tubular guides 38 for reciprocating movement therein.

A footboard 43 is pivotally connected at 44 to the forward end of one of the slide bars 41 and has its forward end pivotally connected at 45 to the crank 30. A second footboard 46 is pivotally connected at 47 to the other slide bar 41 and has its forward end pivotally connected at 48 to the crank 29.

The footboards 43 and 46 are each provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced attaching bores 49. Rotation of the pulley 27 and the cranks 29, 30 causes a rotary sliding movement of the footboards 43, 46 and the slide bars 41 reciprocate in the guide tubes 38.

A generally U-shaped guide tube 50 is positioned between the uprights 31 in horizontal relation and has the free end portions thereof curved downwardly and outwardly and crossing to overlie the guide tube 38. Hinges 51 secure the guide tube 50 to the guide tubes 38, as is best shown in Figures 2 and 6. The guide tube 50 is provided with laterally offset outwardly projecting central portions 52, as seen in Figure 1. A cable 53 extends through the guide tube 50 bridging at 54 the laterally offset portions 52 of the guide tube 50. 'Ihe portions 54 of the cable 53 are exposed, for reasons to be assigned.

The guide tube 50 at the arcuate forward end portion thereof is provided with a plurality of pulleys 55 journalled therein on vertical pivots 56 to provide an antifriction support for the cable 53. The slide bars 41 are each upwardly oifset at 57 and the opposite ends of the cable 53 are secured respectively to the upper ends of the offset end portions 57 by means of securing elements 58. The cable guide tube 50 is vertically swingable about the pivot 51 to permit the entrance of the patient 37 into the device. Stop pins 59 carried on the horizontal bars 33 extend under the guide tube 50 and support it in horizontal operative position.

A pair of wrist bands 60, 61 are each provided with detachable clamps 62, 63, respectively, and the wrist bands 60,. 61 are attached to the exposed portion 54 of the cable 53k intermediate the opposite ends thereof. The wrist bands 60, 61 are arranged to be detachably connected to the wrists of the patient 37 so that thereby the wrists of the patient 37 are' detachably connected to the cables 53.

A swivel 64 connects the wrist band 60 to the clamp 62.l so that pivotal movement may occur therebetween. Thel wrist band 61 is similarly connected tothe clamp 63. f Ashoeclamp 65 is` provided with a pair o'f depending pins 66 arranged in spaced parallel relation to engage inl adjacent bores 49 in each of the footboards 43, 46. The shoe clamp 65 has a heel portion 67 with a strap 68 and a toe clamp' portion 69' `for detachably clamping the toe portion of a shoe therein. Y

In the' use' and operation of the invention, the patient 37 is suspended from the straps 36 and the body harness 35 and has his shoes secured to the shoe clamps 65 and theboards 43, 46. The wrist bands 60, 61 are engaged about his wrists and the motor 13 is operated to rotate thepulley 27 on the shaft 26. Rotation of the pulley 27 causes a rotary reciprocating motion in the footboards 43, 46 which'` in turn causes the foot clamps 65 to move in agenerally walking motion. The slide bars y41 connected to the cable 53 move with the footboards 43, 46 and cause the hands and arms of the patient 37 to swing in a natural movement coordinated with the movement of his feet and legs.

In the case of taller or shorter patients 37, the foot clamps 65 and the wrist bands 60, 61 can be adjusted longitudinally of the device to provide for a greater or lesser movement in keeping with the height of the patient.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of th'e invention', it should be understood that numerous structural modifications Vand adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A walker trainer and coordinator comprising a base, a patient support mounted on said base, a pair of guides secured to said base in laterally spaced relation, a pair of slide bars mounted in said guides for horizontal sliding` movement' therein, a pair of footboards, means pivotally securing one end of each of said footboards respectively to one end of each of said slide bars, a pair of oppositely disposed cranks pivotally connected to the opposite ends of said footboards, means mounting said cranks for rotation on said base, means lfor rotating said cranks to move the end of said footboards connected to said cranks in a rotary reciprocating path while simultaneously moving the ends of said footboards connected to said slide bars in a longitudinally reciprocating path, and means for securing the patients feet to said` footboards.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein means are provided for moving the patients arms coordinately with said footboards with said means being moved by said footboards'.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1. wherein means are provided for adjustably and detachably securing the feet of a patient to said footboards.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein a cable is' secured to said slide bars for movement therewith, and means are provided for detachably securing the wrists of the patient to said cable for moving the wrists ofv the patient coordinately with the slide bars and said footboards.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 219,439 Blend sept. 9, 1879 2,093,830 Flatley Sept. 21, 1937 2,626,600 McMennamy Jan. 27, 1953 

